False Attraction
by Cobalt Stars
Summary: All Silver wanted was to find his father and get a simple explanation. But when a little "accident of love" gets in the way, he has to set aside his plans and make a choice. Run away, or take a stab at romance?
1. Damn Togepi

My name is Silver. I'd tell you where I'm from, but that's nothing you really need to hear. I'm not being mysterious. That's just the way things are. After all, I never really spent much time there. I wouldn't be able to tell you what it was like. What I do remember, though, is that home wasn't what any child would have wanted it to be. My father was always busy and I was forced to spend most of my time alone. From what I hear, that isn't supposed to happen. When I was seven years old, I had my first taste of freedom from that life. I ran away on a whim, telling myself that I'd find adventure somewhere. I did, but that's a different story. It was a long time before Giovanni was able to find me and bring me back. I went unwillingly, I might add. After that little journey, he'd made sure it was impossible for me to get out again. His version of impossible was a little different than mine, though. Locking me in could only work for so long.

I never left for as long as I did the first time again. But sometimes it would be days before I found myself wandering back. Giovanni would get mad at me every time, but I was used to it. Besides, he was only doing what a father should. I just didn't agree with him. We didn't get along, really. At least not when I wasn't listening to him. He wanted me to stay home like a normal kid. That way, he didn't have to worry about me and could focus on his work. I wanted to explore. I never minded that I was by myself all the time, just as long as I was moving my feet. I couldn't do that stuck in a house. It was a clash of wills. You could say I should have lost, considering I was his son. But that didn't really stop me. Day by day, I went on defying him. He told me once that he admired that quality, but believed I was using it wrong. And if not wrong, then at least at the wrong time.

As I got older, though, we started to get used to each other's plans. He gave me the freedom I wanted, and I came back when he wanted me around. Just as Giovanni admired me, I began to find things that I respected about him. That was rare, in my case. Respecting people. He should consider himself a lucky man.

He was a hard worker, my father. I noticed that about him. His mind was always on achieving his goals. I may not have understood what those goals were, but I knew they meant the world to him. I saw his determination, and I wanted nothing more than to be just like that. To never give up on what I wanted. That's why, when he gave up on everything, I began to hate him.

He was defeated by a boy who couldn't have been older than I was. Such a worthless opponent... and he let that get to him. That day, he disbanded Team Rocket. I asked him why. He said it was because he'd failed. He wasn't strong enough. But I saw what his real reason was. He was a coward. Giving up on everything he believed in just because one person got in his way. And to top it off, not only did he abandon his goals, but he abandoned me. After that day, I never saw him again. He'd taken off without so much as a goodbye. He just put his hat on and walked away. I was more alone those years than I'd ever been before, and it was all because of him.

The years went on. Day by day, I lived with my anger towards him. I wanted to know why. Why he'd left me and why he'd let himself down. Finally, I couldn't stand it. I had to find him. I had to ask him how he'd given up so easily. But I'd had no leads. No way to find him. None until now.

This was why I was standing in front of Professor Elm's lab, wringing my fingers nervously as I let out a rough breath of determination. The building loomed before me like some ugly ass scientific obstacle. Which is what it was, I guess. It really was an ugly building.

Since I'd tried everywhere else, this was my last option. I'd heard somewhere that Elm and Professor Oak were good friends, and that Oak had somehow known my father. I thought that maybe, just maybe, they'd spoken to each other about him. If I could just find some sort of file, I might just have the clue I needed to find Giovanni. But I had to make sure there was no one left inside. I'd been waiting for a while, and it seemed like all the activity had stopped. After I was sure it was safe, I'd snuck out from behind the bushes and headed for the front door. I stood there, staring up at the bricks blocking my way. I was going to have to find a way in. For the hell of it, I tried the front door, pressing my hand against it roughly.

It didn't work. Well, at least the guy wasn't an idiot. I let my eyes wander across the wall, searching for some kind of entrance. There was a window not too far away from where I was standing. It was an easy break in, but it would work. Turning my head to make sure I wasn't being watched, I slunk over to it and slid my trainer card under the crack at the bottom. I swiped it across, hearing a click as the window unlocked. Letting out a sigh, I yanked it up and swung my legs up over the windowsill. That was easy.

My feet hit the tile with a soft thump. The room I'd landed in was lit softly, like a museum with nothing interesting to show. Files... I thought to myself. Where was I going to find those? There were random machines littered everywhere, many of which I couldn't see any real use for. I'd have to search away from any of those. No smart person would keep important papers by machinery. Bad things could happen. I let my feet trail me towards the back, near what must have been Elm's personal desk. There were papers strewn all over: some on Pokemon, some on other things I had no interest in. I slid open one of his drawers, furrowing my brow as I saw how much I was going to have to go through. There was paper upon paper, none of which were labeled. I grit my teeth, slamming the drawer shut loudly. There was no way I was going to find anything in there, no matter how long I looked. Instead, I sifted through the papers I'd seen on the desk. One by one, I pulled them aside, scanning them for any usable information. Elm had a lot to say, apparently. There were notes scribbled haphazardly on almost every page, elaborating on the already existing information. But I saw nothing on Giovanni.

I felt an angry heat rise into my face. I'd come all this way just to find nothing? Maybe if this guy would just organize his damn papers, I'd have more of a chance. I rested my palms against the table, gazing down at the top of my hands as I tried to figure out what to do next. I couldn't leave yet. I hadn't looked through everything. But I didn't want to risk staying for too long, either. Sooner or later, someone was bound to notice that the window was open. The window... I could buy myself some time if I shut it.

Sliding my hands into my pockets, I trudged back over to the entrance. Just as I reached up to pull the window shut, I stopped dead in my tracks. A tiny, rustling sound came from behind me. It was small, but it was enough to draw my attention. No one could possibly still be in the lab, could they? I whirled around, but saw no one. Any normal person would have dismissed it as nothing, but it had me on edge.

My eyes flitted across the room, searching for whoever had made the noise. You'd think it would be easy, considering the lights were on. But it wasn't until I heard the sound again before I could figure out where it was coming from. I realized at that moment that I'd been looking too high. The thing that made the noise was... Well, about the size of an egg. Come to think of it, it was shaped like one, too. And colored like one... And... Well, it looked like one. It trotted daintily into view on it's tiny legs, seemingly oblivious to my presence.

"A Togepi?" I mumbled to myself, scowling at it angrily. That wasn't worth the worry. As I spoke, it paused, turning it's head in my direction.

"Prrrrii?" It cooed, giving me a curious stare.

"The hell are you doing here, huh?" I grumbled at it, flicking my hand towards the door. "Get out. I don't need you hanging around."

It's brow twitched angrily, which surprised me. I'd never seen something as pathetic as that do so much as pout.

"Seriously. Get lost, you little runt." I set the Pokemon out of my mind, forgetting about both it and the window for the time being. Or at least trying to. I'd gotten halfway across the room before the Togepi slammed into my legs with surprising strength, knocking me down onto my back. My head slammed against the ground with a sickening crack, sending stars swimming into my eyes. For what felt like forever, all I could see was a blur of bright lights. I must have passed out, because when my vision flooded back, I found myself looking up into the face of another boy.

"Hey, you awake?" He frowned, looking down at me with light brown eyes. His messy, tousled black hair hung loosely over his arched brow. "You looked a little unconscious there, for a minute."

I let out a pained groan, shoving myself up off the ground. Shit. Just my luck. A wave of dizziness swept over me as I sat, causing me to fall backwards again. "Fuck..." I growled. "Where's that damn Togepi?"

The other boy blinked. "Eggy was here? I thought I saw him head this way. Hey, you seen him?"

I shot my hand out, grabbing the collar of his shirt and dragging him down towards me. He let out a yelp of surprise, reaching up to try and loosen my grip. "'Ey! What are you-"

"Was that your Togepi?" I hissed through gritted teeth.

He paused, giving me a furtive glance. "You got something against Eggy?"

"I might, yeah." I scowled at him, wincing lightly at the throbbing pain in my head. "Why do you think I'm lying here, huh?"

"Oh, you probably pissed him off then. See? That's your own fault." He gave me a knowing grin. "Did you hit your head? Don't worry. He does this to everyone who makes him mad. Just the other day, he-"

I gave him a rough shake. "Look, kid. I don't give a damn what it did the other day. Whatever it did, it shouldn't have." Using him as leverage, I lifted myself off the ground and onto my feet. "Now where the hell is it?"

"How should I know?" The boy shrugged, standing up next to me. "He ran away. I've been looking for him for a while. I thought he might have wandered in here since the window was open."

I paused, reaching up to place my hand on the back of my head. That's right... I wasn't supposed to be in there. I glanced sideways at the black-haired boy. He didn't seem to be concerned at all. Then again, he wasn't supposed to be in there either. At least not that I knew of. With luck, maybe he wouldn't ask questions.

"Say, what are you doing here, anyways?"

No such luck. "Why don't you mind your own business?" I snapped.

He turned to me, narrowing his eyes softly. "You're not supposed to be here, are you? Do you even know Professor Elm?"

I remained silent, fuming slightly. This idiot was going to ruin everything for me. Things might be safer if I just left. With a twist of my legs, I turned around, heading towards the exit. It wasn't worth getting arrested.

"Wait!" He called, jogging swiftly to cut me off. He spread his arms out, blocking my path. "If you broke in here, I can't let you leave." I hadn't noticed before, but the boy's right arm was wrapped up in a thick, white bandage. Was he going to take me on like that? There was no way he could do anything if he was hurt.

I stared him in the eyes, daring him silently to try and stand in my way. The only problem was, he didn't stand down like I'd thought he would. Instead, he put on a determined expression, obviously deciding that he really wasn't going to let me walk away. Idiot. I clenched my fist lightly, preparing to knock him down if I had to. "Just back off, alright?" I scowled, glancing down at the bandages on his arm. Was it really okay to hit someone who was already injured? I supposed it was, as long as they had it coming to them.

He shook his head. "No way. I have a duty to uphold. You're a criminal, and it's my job to stop you."

I let out a soft snort, rolling my eyes. "No. That's the cops' job. You have nothing to do with it. So get lost."

"That's what the cops want you to think. I can handle things without them. Just you watch." He gave me a wide, arrogant grin. "By the way, my name is Gold. Just so you know who to blame when you get taken down."

That was it. This kid definitely had it coming to him. I lashed out with my fist, sending a punch flying straight at his face. I guess I could have avoided a fight if I wanted to, but at that moment, I was more interested in shutting him up. It didn't work. He was faster than I expected him to be. He grabbed my fist with a wide eyed expression, pushing it back as he ducked away. Then, just like that damn Togepi of his, he slid his leg under mine and knocked me off balance, throwing his weight against me as he tackled me to the ground. Normally I would have been fine, but my already throbbing skull hit the ground a second time. Lighter than the first, but still enough to make me hiss in pain. A sudden wave of nausea rushed over me. If I'd ever doubted that the Togepi had given me a concussion, there was no doubt in my mind anymore. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to shove him off of me. "You... Asshole." I grimaced. "You trying to kill me?"

"Are you trying to break my nose?" He countered, sitting himself down on my chest to keep me from moving. That didn't help me feel better at all. I let out a furious puff of air, but couldn't bring myself to do anything about it. I felt like shit. Instead, I settled on breathing deeply, forcing myself to ignore the awful twisting in my stomach.

"You know," What's-his-face said teasingly, "you don't look so good. You feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." I growled, opening my eyes to shoot him a glare. "I'd be better if you got off."

"Can't do that, sorry." He shrugged. "You're sure you're fine? You look like you've seen better days."

"I have." Squeezing my eyes shut again, I tried to force him away. But no matter how hard I pushed him, he stayed. It was ironic, I thought, that both of us just happened to be injured when we met. And that he was so easily able to overpower me despite whatever was up with his arm. That was ridiculous.

He gave me an examining look. "Maybe you should come back to my house. I can figure out what to do with you there."

"No." I snapped instantly. There was no way in hell.

"You were unconscious when I found you. I think you should get your head checked."

"I'm fine."

"You look like you're gonna be sick."

"I'm fine."

"I really think I should do something."

"You can get off."

"Besides that."

"Go away."

"I'm going to take you back to my house. Maybe my mom can do something about that headache."

"I'm fine."

"Come on. I'll take you there."

"No."

"Eh. I don't have to listen to you." He shifted his weight, readying himself to get up. "You're coming whether you like it or not. What's your name, anyways?"

I just grunted in reply. This kid- Gold or whatever- was going to have to drag me if he wanted me to go anywhere. I was Silver. I answered to nobody. Especially not some vigilante idiot.


	2. Romantic Misfortunes

To be honest, I was beginning to feel like a complete failure. Nothing had gone according to plan. Sure, I got into Elm's building fine. But as soon as I did, everything went downhill. I couldn't find the paper I needed. I got tackled by a psycho Pokemon. I was "rescued" by some idiot who probably thought the law rested on his shoulders. I hit my head-twice. And now, I was tied up on the floor of some stranger's house, feeling about as agitated as I could possibly get in a situation like this. Yes, I realize you missed a couple of things. Let me say one thing before I explain: tonight wasn't the brightest moment of my life.

What happened was this. Because I wasn't being cooperative, the boy _did_ decide to drag me back to his house. I didn't make it easy for him, but he struggled through it anyways. When I saw his house, or mansion, as it should have been called, I couldn't help but be a little shocked. It was large, unnecessary, and out of place next to the rest of the houses in his area. I guess that explained this kid. Rich and spoiled. He ushered me inside and introduced me to his mom, who seemed surprised that her son had brought me all the way back from the lab. Well, maybe I should say she was more surprised that he'd brought home a 'criminal' of sorts. I didn't consider myself a criminal, but apparently breaking into a building gives you that label. But despite that, she agreed to have her Chansey look me over after a quick call to Professor Elm. They really didn't waste time in this place.

Gold led me into one of the smaller rooms in the house and had me sit down. The room was well decorated, at least, with a wide variety of things to do and places to sit. There were bookshelves, a television connected to multiple game consoles, and even a pool table. The wall was decorated with various pictures of Pokemon alongside of several huge mirrors. It was an odd kind of room to bring me to, but I guess it was better than locking me in the bathroom or something.

It wasn't long before his mom waltzed back into the room. I was notified by said mother that Elm was going to come over as soon as he could. In the meantime, I was supposed to make myself comfortable. I could be there for a while. That was where my problems started. His mom decided to leave the room in order to make me something to eat, which I didn't understand. I guess she was hospitable no matter who was in her company. This was unfortunate for me, though, because it left me under the supervision of Gold, who thought he had to watch me like a hawk. I'd planned on ditching the house as soon as their backs were turned, but that turned out to be a lot more difficult than I'd expected. Not only was Gold refusing to get distracted, but he had a multitude of his own Pokemon in on the observation.

There was something about all of the Pokemon in the house that I found weird. I'd never seen anyone walking around with that many of them: especially not someone who was still at home. Where did he get them all, anyways? They were scattered around the house. Some were out of sight, and some were examining me curiously alongside their master. All in all, I counted about twelve, including the Togepi he'd been looking for earlier, which was still missing. There was an Aipom, a Sandshrew, a Weedle, the Chansey that had been mentioned, and a bunch more that I really didn't want to keep track of. There was no way that getting out of that house would be easy. If I wanted to, I'd have to bolt through all of them. Which is what I tried.

I couldn't come up with a brilliant escape plan. Instead, I picked up one of the pillows off of the sofa I'd been seated on and tossed it roughly in Gold's direction. This was enough to take him off his guard. As he moved to dodge it, I jumped up from my seat and ran towards the door, pursued by shouts of protest. Something along the lines of "Hey! That's cheating!" Idiot. Thanks for letting me know.

I think I would have made a clean exit had I not tripped. I didn't see it when I was running, but his Weedle had wiggled its way onto my path. I snagged my foot on its long body, terrifying the wits out of the thing. I guess it hadn't seen me coming, either. In a fit of panic, it spit out its silk string, wrapping my arms and legs in a thick wad of Weedle spit. Which was a lot more unpleasant than I could have imagined. Caught completely off guard, I fell to the ground, landing face first onto the carpet. Somehow, I felt like some unseen force was enjoying the hell out of pushing me down. That was a comforting thought.

I tried to kick my way out of the string that bound my feet, but it didn't work. I was stuck. And that's how I ended up on the floor of a stranger's house, tied up in a bunch of silk, feeling like a failure. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Fucking Weedle. Fucking carpet. Fucking _Gold_. I could guiltlessly blame all of them for my situation. After all, it _was_ their fault. Without them getting in my way, I would have done fine. I would have gotten what I wanted, and then left. I guess that didn't happen this time.

Someone gave my shoulder a soft shake. "Hey, you alright?" Gold's voice sounded loudly. I scowled at the floor, not really knowing what else to do. He let out a short laugh and shook his head. "That's what you get for being a cheater." He picked up his Weedle gently, cradling it in his arms. "Look who stopped you! Weedle had no problem bringing you down. We make a great team, don't we Weedle?"

His Weedle gave him a confused nod and glanced down at me. The thing probably didn't even know what had happened.

If there was one thing I knew, it was that I didn't want to be stuck lying facedown on the ground. I forced myself to flip over, rolling onto my back and pushing myself up so that I was sitting. I fumed when I saw that the other boy was laughing. So what if I looked ridiculous. He shouldn't have been enjoying it. The least he could do is _pretend_ I looked a little threatening. I glared at him harshly, willing him with my mind to shut up. Obviously he didn't get the hint.

"You know," He said, still cackling lightly, "Elm's gonna look at me like a hero for stopping you. He might even _reward_ me for it!"

I rolled my eyes. Like stopping an injured person was an achievement. Moron...

"Maybe he'll finally agree to give me that Pokedex I've been asking him for." He continued. I eyed him frustratedly as I struggled again with my bonds, trying to slide my arms out from under the silk. As I watched, he wandered over to the other side of the room, picking up a small book from off of one of the tables and flipping it open to a small picture of a Pichu. "I always wanted one of those." He sighed wistfully. "But he said 'No, Gold, you'll break it.' Or 'I don't think you understand the responsibility that comes with one of these.' Well sheesh. He isn't giving me enough credit, I think."

Well, I could feel it. This kid was officially off on a tangent. I gave up on trying to get myself untied and instead decided to just sit there. Maybe if I humored this guy, he'd just let me go. Wishful thinking, but I really didn't have anything else to do. I resigned myself to sitting quietly and scowling to myself. If nothing else, that made me feel a little bit calmer.

Gold waltzed over to one of the large mirrors on the wall, glancing at himself as he passed. "Can you imagine, though? If I had a Pokedex, I'd be even more famous than I am now!" He turned to give me a less-than-subtle wink. "And it'll all be thanks to you."

I let out a small cough of disbelief.

He turned back to the mirror, striking what I assumed to be his 'tough trainer' pose. He sort of flexed his arms, grinning at himself as he waved around the little book that he was so obviously pretending was a Pokedex. "Just think of all the _girls_! I'd be batting them off with a broom! Not that I really ever have a broom with me..."

Never in my life have I wanted to hit my head against a wall as badly as I did then. This kid was such a _moron_. I shook my head at him, almost fascinated by how ridiculous he was being. As I did, though, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.

It was back. His damn Togepi was back. It crept quietly through the doorway, peering around it to check the occupants of the room. First, it spotted me. I glared at it furiously, daring it to try anything. It just gave me a stubborn pout of indifference and turned away, searching for something else. Obviously it wasn't there to finish me off.

Suddenly, it's eyes landed on the ego-indulging Gold. A thick, resentful frown crossed its face. For what seemed like a long while, it sat there, mulling something over in its tiny head as Gold remained oblivious to its presense. It watched silently as he continued his excited posing in the mirror. It seemed almost as annoyed as I was by the whole scene. Finally, a wicked grin crossed its face. It glanced between me and Gold, as if double checking something. This had me a little concerned.

"Hey, what are you-" I tried to ask it. But before I could finish the question, I saw what it had been planning. It turned quickly back to the mirrored Gold, waving its hands in a brisk, circular motion. I blinked as a multitude of shiny yellow hearts burst from its body, bombarding the mirror and bouncing back to hit Gold in the face.

"Ouch, what the heck was that?" He grumbled, reaching up to rub his eyes forcefully on his sleeve.

I glanced up at him, then turned my head to stare at the Togepi. Even I couldn't answer that question. I wasn't quite sure what it had just done, but I had a feeling it wasn't good.

It quickly skipped towards me from behind the doorway, being as quiet as it possibly could. My bad feeling suddenly went from bad to worse as I saw the horrible grin on its face. I tried to scoot away, but couldn't get very far. Within no time, it reached me, hiding itself behind my back. And without warning, it gave me a sharp kick. It wasn't enough to hurt, since its foot was about the size of a melted crayon, but it was enough to piss me off.

"Why you..." I growled, craning my neck around to try and spot the damn thing. "When I get out of this..."

"Hey," My snarling was interrupted by Gold, who'd apparently honed in on the slight commotion. "What are you doing? Why did you-" He turned around sharply, and that's when his eyes met mine. Without warning, his expression melted from accusing to something that I couldn't really describe. His eyes grew wide as he stared at me relentlessly, making me feel awkward as hell.

"What?" I snapped, returing his stare with a questioning glance.

He took a tentative step towards me, pausing as if he were taking his first step into a freezing swimming pool. "It's just..." He spoke softly, testing his own words on the tip of his tongue. "You're _really_ pretty."

I choked. "Ex_cuse_ me?"

"I never really noticed until now. But... Your hair, and your eyes... your eyes are silver. That's really pretty."

I let my mouth drop open slightly. I wasn't sure whether to be offended, pissed off, or just confused. I've been called a lot of things in my life, but pretty was _definitely_ not one of them. "What the hell are you talking about? Knock it off, you-" And then it clicked. _This_ was what that Togepi had done. I wasn't sure how, but it had. I whirled around, trying to find the damn thing, but it was gone. _Oh shit..._ I thought to myself. This couldn't be good.

I glanced back up at Gold, eying him cautiously. He'd made quite a bit of progress on his venture in my direction. I scooted myself back as best I could, shooting him a furious stare. "Stay back, you little freak." I growled, baring my teeth sharply. I would _not_ be happy if he dared to lay a finger on me. I didn't care whether he was out of his mind at the moment or not. He'd still be a dead man.

Gold paused, giving me a bewildered look. He seemed about as confused as I was with the whole situation. He stepped backwards slightly, pursing his lips as he went. "Why... Do I really like you right now?" He frowned softly.

"Because you're crazy." I kicked at the silk string around my legs, trying to break it, fray it, do _anything_ to it. From down the hall, I heard a closing door and the exchange of muffled voices. Elm must have shown up. Thank goodness I wasn't going to be stuck alone in this room with Gold for much longer. The longer he was with me, the more likely things were going to get seriously distressing.

Gold stood where he was for a moment longer, mulling things over in his head. "Whether I'm crazy or not," He said to me softly, "feelings are feelings. I feel like I'm head over heels for you right now. So I guess that's what I am."

"No." I hissed, beginning to panic a bit. This was _beyond_ weird. I did _not_ want to put up with it. "It just means your crazy."

His face melted into a grin, a slight tinge of a blush forming on his cheeks. "Crazy for _you_."

I gagged. "Oh God, really? _Really_? Please. If you're going to do that, just kill me now." Rolling my eyes, I scooted myself back to lean against the sofa, nearly running into one of his freaky Pokemon on the way. An Exeggcute, I think. It bounced out of my way, grumbling as it went.

"What's wrong with that, huh?" He spoke gently, walking over to seat himself next to me. Ignoring my look of frustration, he continued. "At least I'm funny."

"Yeah, and modest."

"Yeah, modest." He leaned closer, resting his shoulder against mine as he reached up to place his hand on my leg. I glared at him harshly, sliding as far away from him as I could get without falling over, but he thoughtlessly followed after me.

"What the hell are you doing?" I eyed him carefully, feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second.

"Nothing." He shrugged, turning himself to wrap his arms around my waist. "I'm just sitting."

"No you aren't. You're touching me. Get off." I shouldered him roughly, trying to knock him away, but he hung on tight. Squeezing me sofly, he leaned forward so that his face was just inches away from mine.

"I'm just checking something. Give me a second." And with that, he quickly became the number one person on my 'will hate for life' list. He closed the distance between our lips swiftly, pressing his against mine in a gentle kiss. My eyes widened in shock as I pressed my lips shut and shoved myself backwards, trying to pull away from him. He didn't stop. Instead, he trailed his hand up my back and rested it on the base of my neck, tracing small circles on my skin as he kissed the corner of mouth.

I tore my lips away from him, gritting my teeth furiously. "_What the fuck was that_?" I snarled. I felt an angry heat rise into my face as he rested his hand on my shoulder.

As he pulled away, he glanced over me, looking for God knows what kind of reaction. The look on his own face was smug, almost completely satisfied. "I just wanted to see what you tasted like." He gave me a twisted smile, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "You taste kind of like cinnamon."

This faggot had violated me to see what I_ tasted _like. If I hadn't been bound, chances are I would have seriously wounded him. I turned my head away, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from losing my head. I felt an unexplainable fury rise up into my chest. I was about to turn back and give him a piece of my mind, but I saw that something had distracted him.

I heard an awkward cough coming from the doorway. Gold's head was turned towards the noise, although I couldn't make out the new expression on his face. There were two people standing there. How long they'd been watching, I had no idea. Nevertheless, I felt a wave of embarassment wash over me. If they'd seen all of that, what would I have to say for myself? I didn't ask for it. I didn't tell him to do anything. He just did. I breathed a silent hope that they didn't jump to conclusions.

One of the arrivals was Gold's mother. The other was a man I only recognized from what few photos I'd seen. He was a scattered-looking, almost nerdy type of guy. His chestnut hair was dishevelled as if he'd been through some terrible trauma. Who knows, maybe that was me. As he stood, he shifted his eyes between Gold and I uncomfortably, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his finger.

Gold gave him an embarassed grin. "Oh, hey Professor Elm. How're you tonight?"

* * *

**AN: Hey guys! ^^ Sorry that took me so long to get posted. End of school distractions and such. Main thing I want to say is thank you to all of those who left a review! You all have no idea how much I enjoy those (hint hint nudge nudge). ;3**

**This chapter was a lot of fun to write. Yes, I realize that the Togepi does seem pretty psycho at this point. _But_ all of that will be explained around the next chapter or so. I hope you guys enjoyed! I'll make sure to move a bit faster on my next update for you. I'd say stay tuned, but there's no dial to tune with. Eh. Oh well. It works for now.**


	3. Simple Solutions

Gold's mother was stunned. For what seemed like a long while, she did nothing but gaze at the two of us, her mouth drooping open in a shocked gape. Gold's eyes shifted uncomfortably, flashing first between his mom and Elm, then between me and them. An air of awkwardness settled quickly around the room, making the silence unbearable. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought so. Elm let out a weak cough, running his fingers through his hair. "Err," He mumbled, "did we interrupt something?"

"No." I scowled, letting my head fall back against the sofa frustratedly. "You should have shown up earlier. That would have been _very_ nice. You know? Just really convenient."

He blinked at me. If he was confused, he showed it well.

Gold's mom gave Elm a soft pat on the shoulder. "Why don't you go sit down, Professor?" He gave her a nod and shuffled over to the sofa, seating himself a good distance from Gold and I. I caught him giving me an evaluating look and returned it with a sharp glance. I must have looked pretty pissed off, because he jumped slightly, quickly turning his head away.

"Gold," his mom said sternly, turning towards her son. "I think you should go wait up in your room."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, opening his mouth to say something in his own defense, but seemed to think better of it. "Um, yeah. Okay." He gave me a pining glance, standing slowly. "You want me to go now?"

She nodded and motioned for him to leave with her hand. After a brief sigh and a pleading look, he marched out of the room looking flustered and confused, leaving me grateful for his absence. Elm took the opportunity to speak up, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt.

"When I got the phone call saying someone'd broken into my lab, I didn't realize I'd been... Err, visited by one of Gold's... friends." He said, giving me a wary look.

"We're not friends." I sighed and rolled my eyes, letting my red hair fall in front of my face to cover up my equally red, embarrassed blush. Damn it. Not only was I a potential thief, but I was a potential homo, too. That wasn't going to sit well with me, whether I got away from here or not.

Gold's mom frowned softly, ushering in her Chansey from the hallway. It trotted in gently, carrying a tray of cookies. Cookies, for goodness sake. That must have been what his mom had spent all her time making. Probably to make me a little less threatening. I had to admit, it was working a little. I wasn't sure how to be aggressive to a woman who'd just brought me cookies. The Chansey set the tray down on the table in the middle of the room and stood, waiting patiently for orders.

"I didn't get the impression that you and my son were friends, no." Gold's mom said to me, moving to sit next to Elm. "But that's not the important thing right now, I suppose." She shot a glance at Elm, hinting that he should get down to the point. "Professor, do you have any questions you want to ask him?"

"Yes." he frowned meekly. The way Elm conducted himself made him look like a paranoid acorn. I'd never _seen _a paranoid acorn before, no. But I can guarantee you that Elm is the spitting image. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap, leaning forward slightly. "If you and Gold aren't friends, then why did you-"

"Elm," Gold's mom interrupted. "I mean about the break in. Questions about that."

Elm's brow creased into a recollecting frown. "Oh, that's a much better idea. Thank you, Elaine." Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to me. "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't."

"Ahh. I see. Would you mind-"

"Look." It was my turn to interrupt. "I'm just going to clarify something. I do _not_ know Gold in any way. I met him maybe an hour ago. To answer your question, I'm an unwilling victim of an unfortunate accident brought about by a psychotic _egg_ that gets off by flinging hearts at boys with mirror fetishes. So what you just saw was not my fault."

Elm and Gold's mother blinked at me. Maybe I hadn't phrased that too well. At least that's what I thought, until Gold's mother, Elaine or whatever her name was, let out a grunt of realization. "_Togepi_," She sighed, rubbing her temples with the palms of her hands, "I should have known it'd do something like this. Not that Gold isn't impulsive enough to kiss a stranger on his own..."

"Togepi?" Elm's eyes widened in understanding. "Did something happen today, Elaine?"

She nodded, stood, and walked over to the tray of cookies, picking one up and offering it to me apologetically. "Do you like chocolate chip?"

I shrugged and gestured with my chin to the Weedle string that was still wound tightly around my arms and feet. Whether I liked cookies or not, there was no way I was eating any like this.

"Oh, we should get you out of those, shouldn't we?" She set the cookie down and reached to pat her Chansey, which was still standing patiently, on the head. "Would you do that for me, Cha-Chan? I don't think I have anything I could use." The Chansey nodded and situated itself next to me, poking and prodding at the grossly hardened string around my feet. "As long as you don't go anywhere," Gold's mom continued, sitting herself back down and bringing the cookie tray with her, "I can have Chansey take a look at your head, too."

I just grunted in reply. That way, I wasn't making any promises, but I wasn't saying no, either.

"Anyways, as for Togepi, something did happen today. Not much, but I guess it was enough for the little guy." She picked up a cookie of her own, breaking off a piece and popping it into her mouth. "It stole one of Gold's pool balls this morning and wouldn't give it back. Gold told it that it wasn't allowed to leave the house until it did, and ended up taking the other Pokemon on a walk without it. Togepi got angry and ran away. Gold's been looking for it since around dinnertime, but I guess it came back on its own."

"Yes, but if it came back, wouldn't that imply that it was _fine_ with what happened?" Elm frowned, looking slightly concerned.

"Not at all. This is Togepi, Professor. We've had problems with it before."

I wasn't too keen on hearing about the other problems it had caused. As long as it wasn't just me, I felt a little bit better. I was starting to get a little pissed off, however, because these people were refusing to address what the real problem was. "Hey," I piped in, "this is a nice conversation and all, but I'd really like to know what the hell happened. Someone want to explain that to me?"

Both of them paused and looked over at me. "Well," Elm furrowed his brow, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "I could try, but I have no idea what Togepi did." He blinked. "Err, what _did_ it do?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but was stopped by the waving hand of Gold's mom. "Let me guess." She frowned, finishing off the last bits of chocolate chip. "Did it use Attract?"

I paused, turning over the possibility in my mind. As I thought about it, I realized that it was the only explanation that made sense. Letting out a bitter sigh, I nodded. "Yellow hearts?"

She nodded. "Yellow hearts."

During the brief silence that followed, the Chansey managed to break off the remaining string around my arms. I stretched them out, feeling the blood rush slowly into my fingers. Damn, those ropes were tighter than I'd thought they were. I paid a quick glance to Professor Elm. He had a confused look on his face and rubbed the bottom of his chin as if he were deep in thought.

"That couldn't have been it." He said finally, waving his finger in a matter-of-fact fashion. "Attract is a move that only works on Pokemon. How could it have affected Gold?"

"Maybe he's just one of those freaks..." I mumbled to myself. Don't doubt me when I say that. He could have been just that bizarre.

Gold's mom, apparently having heard my comment, frowned deeply. "If you're going to make comments like that, then no cookies for you, young man." She promptly ignored me when I rolled my eyes in response. Redirecting her attention to Elm, she attempted to put things into perspective. "Professor, you remember last week when Gold sprained his wrist?"

My mind jumped to when I'd noticed his bandaged arm at the lab. So that's what that was. He'd sprained it.

Elm nodded, pursing his lips as he sighed dramatically. "How could I forget? He spent hours complaining to me about how he couldn't skate again until he was fully healed."

"Well," Gold's mom continued, "You know how impatient he is. He's been taking those new Chansey pills. The ones where they use the healing part of the eggs? So he does, in a way, have some Pokemon DNA, or something similar, running through his system."

The Professor buried his face in his hands. "Oh dear. This may be a bit of a problem to fix."

I gritted my teeth. Great. Just great. "Why's that, huh? Can't he just stop taking the pills?"

"Not anymore." Elm shook his head. "I mean, he _could_ stop taking the pills, but that wouldn't do anything at all." He stood and began to pace around the room. "Now that Eggy's used a stat-changing move, the Chansey DNA is being utilized to its full potential. I'm afraid it's going to be stuck in Gold's system until we can figure out a way to fix this."

"How the hell would you know?" I growled lightly. "What, you go through this a lot?"

He gave me a skittish glance._ Man_, I thought, this guy was a nut job. It wasn't like I'd said anything scary. After a few stuttering attempts at creating a sentence, he managed to pull himself together enough to answer my question. "No, I don't. But my job- my profession, excuse me- requires that I know these things."

"Oh. Well alright." I sat up, pulling my head off of the cushion of the sofa and resting my elbows on my knees. "So what's going to happen? Is he going to turn pink and start dropping eggs all over the place?"

Gold's mom let out a light chuckle, which confused me a bit. That didn't seem like something a mother should find funny. She caught me staring and quickly shrugged in my direction. "That would be a little funny, you have to admit."

I shrugged back. I didn't know if it would be funny, exactly. Maybe just pathetic.

Professor Elm made a gurgled sound of distress. "I can guarantee you that that is absolutely not going to happen. He's just using the genes, not becoming them!"

"Does that make a difference?" I reached up and rubbed my forehead with the tips of my fingers. I did that a lot when I was stressed. "He's still messed up. And he's still stuck like that. And _I_ still have to deal with the fact that _I'm_ involved."

Elm pressed his lips together tightly. After a moment of deep thought, he adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and let out a deep breath. "I suppose so... But you wouldn't have gotten involved if you hadn't broken into my lab. You... Did do that, right?"

I just scowled in response. At this point, I didn't really care whether I was in trouble or not. I'd take jail time if it got me away from this place.

"Well, I think I have something figured out, then." Elm resumed his pacing, his footsteps sounding loudly on the tile floor. "Normally, to fix a status problem like Attract, one would need to recall either the affected Pokemon or the affecting Pokemon. Since neither of you are Pokemon, that isn't going to work. So instead, you'll need something specific to cure the problem."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"There's an item known as the Red Flute. Now, they're rare, so there's only one place I know of to get them. I could just send a letter to the maker, but I think this situation calls for something different."

Narrowing my eyes, I gazed up at the Professor. "Why wouldn't you just ask for one? I'd sleep better at night knowing I'm not being fantasized about by some loser I barely know."

"No, we're not going to send for one. Instead, _you're_ going to go and get it for us."

My eyes shot wide open. I wasn't sure if I'd heard that right, but I was really hoping I hadn't. "I'm... What?"

"You broke into my lab, right? Instead of getting the police involved, I'll just have you do a favor for me instead." He tapped his fingers against his palm lightly, giving me a sympathetic, yet stern look. "I'll tell you where you need to go and who you'll be meeting. You just need to carry it out."

My jaw dropped open for a brief moment before I collected myself. "No. No way." I snapped. "I have better things to do than run errands for this crap."

"It's this or prison time." Elm sighed. "I'd really prefer we just did this instead."

I sat silently. I know I'd said that I'd take jail time over staying involved, but in reality, that wasn't too appealing. Tugging at my hair lightly, I turned this thought over in my mind. "Is it just going to be me? No company?"

"If we can trust you with that, then yes."

After a long consideration, I let out a soft growl. "Alright, fine. Whatever. I'll get the damn flute."

"So it's settled then?" Gold's mom smiled softly. "You can stay here tonight. We have an extra room for you."

Elm nodded. "Actually, I'm going to require you to stay here tonight. You can head out in the morning."

I buried my face in my hands. Shit. This was the last thing I'd thought I'd ever get involved in. And it had to be now, of all times. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I leaned back against the sofa, pressing my palm against my forehead in an attempt to hold back my ever growing headache. "Fine." I grumbled. Mostly to myself, but I guess the others wanted to hear it too. "I'll stay."

"Perfect!" Gold's mom let out a sigh of relief, brushing down the hem of her skirt as she stood. "We've killed two birds with one stone, then. Anything else, Elm?"

Elm nodded and spent the next few, long minutes detailing exactly what it was I'd have to do, where to go, and who I'd need to meet. In all honesty, I paid very little attention to anything he had to say. I wasn't even sure if I'd be going through with any of it. Actually, chances are I wouldn't be. First opportunity I got, I'd be out of there. It wouldn't be my problem anymore.

After Elms' spiel, Gold's mom led me to the room I'd be staying in for the night. It wasn't much. Just a bed, some end tables, and a tiny bathroom. But at that point, they could have given me a sleeping bag and thrown me in the damn closet, for all I cared. Just as she promised, though, Gold's mom had her Chansey give me a quick checkup. They figured I'd be alright. So with an ice pack, a couple of well needed painkillers, and a furious attitude, I was sent off to get some rest.

I made sure to lock my bedroom door tight. Just in case.

* * *

**AN: Hey! Back again (finally) with the new chapter! Hope I got a couple of things explained in here. There was a lot of dialogue, I know, but I kind of needed all of that to go through everything. Next time, though, should focus a lot more on Silver and what's going on in his head (I hope. I never know before I start writing). **

**Quick, random comment though X3. I noticed something about Silver as I was playing my Soul Silver game. Silver doesn't really condense words. Instead of they're, he uses a lot of "They are's" and stuff. That probably has nothing to do with anything, but I thought it was kind of funny. ^^ Yeah.**


	4. Nasty Surprises

I woke up slowly. How long had it taken me to fall asleep? Was it one-two in the morning? I'd never looked at the clock, so I wasn't sure. Opening my eyes blearily, I sat up and pulled off the bed covers, sliding down to the floor. I hadn't bothered to change out of my clothes. Sleeping in nothing but my boxers in a stranger's house just felt awkward. That, and the little situation I was in made that feeling a lot worse.

I glanced out the window. The sun was just starting to rise. Stifling a yawn, I realized that I hadn't gotten much sleep at all. That was alright. I wasn't a huge fan of sleeping in anyways. I was tired, yeah. But I wasn't about to stick around just to get a little more rest. Instead of wasting the energy to bend over and grab them, I slid my shoes over with my feet, slipping them on lazily.

That's when I glanced up at the door. Someone, I guess, had slipped a small, brown package through the crack at the bottom. I stared at it warily. Whether or not I opened it depended on who had slipped it under there in the first place. Was it Gold? Was it Elm? I walked over to pick it up, hopping to get my foot to slide all the way into my shoes. On top of the box was taped a thin, white note. The handwriting was a vaguely familiar cursive, chicken-scratch type scrawl, as if it had all been written in a hurry. So Elm had given it to me. I supposed that I should open it, then. Even if it was grudgingly. I ripped the note off the packaging and shook it all the way open.

_Dear Gold's Friend, _it read. I winced.

_I understand that you won't want to stay here any longer than is required of you. Therefore, we are permitting you to leave whenever you're up and ready._

Permitting me. What a joke. These people didn't have so much control over me as to tell me when I could and couldn't leave.

_However, _it continued,_it's important that you take the Pokegear that I've left for you in the package. Whether you find personal use for it or not, I need you to carry it with you at all times. This can permit me to make sure that you stay on track and do what you've agreed to do. I've updated it with a tracking card, allowing me to see exactly where it is that you're going. As soon as you return with the Red Flute, I'll remove this function and give you the option of keeping the Pokegear or returning it. If you stray too far, or the tracker shows a significant lack of movement, I'll have to assume you've abandoned our deal and get the police involved. I apologize that I have to invade your privacy this much, but I don't believe it's too much to ask of you. Just so you don't panic, I can guarantee you that I won't be watching you all the time. Just an occasional glance or two, because constant supervision seems like taking it a little too far. _

I wasn't too keen on having any supervision at all. Despite Elm's attempts to make it easier on me, I was still going to have qualms with the whole plan. With a frustrated grimace, I considered putting the note down and just walking out. But there was still more that I hadn't read. Luckily for me, and I say that sparingly, the next scribbled section detailed what the hell I was doing. Since I hadn't been paying any attention the night before, that was sort of convenient.

_Just in case you forgot- _and I had-_you'll have to find Professor Oak down in Goldenrod city. He called me recently about a young boy who was coming to visit from Hoenn who works with the Flute Maker. Professor Oak can tell you where the boy, I believe his name was Randy or Richard-one of the two- is staying. You'll most likely find the Professor at the Radio Tower, since he works there on occasion. I wish you the best of luck, _

_Elm_

There was one more thing scrawled at the bottom.

_P.S. Elaine demanded I leave you cookies for the trip. I packed them next to the Pokegear. Enjoy. And if you don't mind, could you leave us your name so that we know who you are? Thank you._

I grumbled to myself. Fine. I might as well do it to avoid more trouble. I scoured the room for a pencil, pen, or something else I could use to write with. There were none in either of the drawers, but I managed to find a pen in the bathroom. I decided not to bother trying to figure out why it was there, of all places. After hastily scribbling my name under Elm's note and tossing it onto my unmade bed, I decided that I should open the package. I tore off the brown packaging and opened the small box. Inside, just as Elm had said, was a blue phone-like object set next to a small plastic bag of cookies. I paused for a moment, holding the Pokegear in my hand. Should I take it, or should I just leave it here?

I figured it was too late to back out on it now. And if I was taking the Pokegear, I might as well take the cookies, too. Having a little snack along the way couldn't hurt. I slipped them both into my pocket and flipped the lock on the door, pushing it open with a loud crack. I was worried that the noise would alert someone to the fact that I was awake, but as I waited, nothing else in the house stirred. I instantly felt stupid for pausing. People knew I was leaving. What was the point of trying to sneak out? I shook my head at myself and trudged out into the hallway, trying to remember my way out of the place.

It didn't take me too long to find the door. The house seemed a little smaller now that I'd slept and my head wasn't killing me. Before I knew it, I was out in the courtyard. A courtyard, for goodness sake. Talk about excess. But flashy courtyard or no, I was finally on my own again. It had been one hell of a night, but it was over, at least. Even if I was stuck running errands for a professor with nervous tendencies.

As I ambled slowly towards the edge of town, hands in my pockets, I paid one last glance towards where Professor Elm's lab stood. Well, that plan had gone completely down the drain. I scowled to myself as I thought about how pointless that all had been. Hell, it landed me a step backwards. The only thing that kept me from giving up then and there was that I knew I still had all the time I needed. Giovanni could wait, if only for a few days. Besides, I hadn't been kidding when I'd said that this whole romantic situation was creepy. The sooner I got that fixed, the better I'd feel.

* * *

I wasn't sure how long I'd been walking. By the time I even thought to check, the sun was halfway across the sky. So it was between mid-morning and afternoon, at least. That meant I had been walking for several hours. A lot of people might have said I was crazy for walking like that without company. Well, I preferred to be on my own anyways. The good thing about how long it took to walk between towns was that it was relieving, in a way. I didn't have to think about anything but the ground underneath my feet and the place I was trying to get to.

Speaking of my feet, though, they were starting to hurt a little. However long I'd been walking for, it was enough to tire me out. I slumped down against a tree on the side of the road, resting my head against the rough bark. It wasn't too comfortable, but it felt good to take a break. I considered eating one of those cookies, but decided not to. Homemade cookies were for losers.

I hadn't been sitting for long when I heard the soft snap of a twig behind me. Jumping to attention, I whirled around in my seat to try and catch a glimpse of what had made the noise. Chances are it was nothing, but I'd learned to be cautious. I didn't see anything behind me, but I wanted to be sure. I stood slowly, trying not to make a sound as I crept around the trunk of the tree and peeked behind it. Still nothing.

I let myself relax a little. Whatever. It wasn't worth it to scour the area for something that was probably just a Pokemon anyways. Frowning softly, I turned around and found myself face to face with what could have only been my waking nightmare.

"Holy shit!" I shouted, flinging my arms out in front of me and throwing the other boy backwards onto the ground. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Gold grinned up at me from where he landed, pushing himself up with his hand as he brushed the dirt off his pants. He situated himself casually, folding his arms and standing as if he'd been there the whole time. "Did I scare you? Sorry about that."

"Scare me?" I growled, tossing my hands in the air frustratedly. "You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack! How the hell did you find me?"

"Well," he furrowed his brow gently, holding up one finger. "for one thing, there's only one road out of New Bark Town. And another thing..." He held up a second finger. "I've been following you since you left the house. I couldn't sleep knowing you were leaving in the morning, so I decided to just go after you."

I buried my eyes under my hand, squeezing my temples roughly. If anything, that was incredibly creepy. "Okay, you are not staying here. I am calling Elm, and you are going to go back home. Got it?" I stuck my hand into my pocket, but found that the Pokegear was gone. My eyes scanned the ground in search of it as I patted myself down. Maybe I'd just misplaced it, or...

"Looking for this?" As I looked up, a wicked smile crept across Gold's face. I had no idea how he had gotten his hands on it, but he was gripping the Pokegear tightly.

"What in the..." I scowled. "Give that back. Now." I snatched for it, but he quickly pulled his hand away.

"No." His expression turned serious as he hid it behind his back. "I want you to take me with you."

I couldn't believe he'd really just asked that. Out of all the things I could have done, taking him with me was the last thing I wanted. "I'm not going to take you with me. So give it back." I held out my hand expectantly, clenching my teeth in an attempt to keep my voice even and calm.

He shook his head. "I know what this is. I read that letter Elm left for you. The one you left on the bed? As long as I have this, you have to take me with you."

"Shit." I hissed. He was right. Unless I wanted to spend a couple years in prison, I had to keep the Pokegear. Which meant I had to get it back from him. I made one last grab for it, missing it by mere centimeters.

"You really want this that bad?" His lips pursed in a defiant pout. "Well then, take it." And then he stuffed my Pokegear down his pants.

I jerked my hand away from him, staring at him in disbelief.

"You can take it whenever you want. It's right here." He said, gesturing to a place that I really didn't want my hand to go.

"That's disgusting." I growled. "Why would I ever-"

"Exactly. You wouldn't." He beamed. Well, he was sure proud of himself, wasn't he? Sticking a phone down his pants... "You'd have to _really_ like me to stick your hand down there." He taunted in a sing-song voice.

That little jerk. I clenched my fist tightly and rammed it against the tree, sucking in a deep breath. "Okay, fine. _Fine_. I'm not going to waste my time right now. You can come with me, but as soon as that thing comes out of your pants, I'm taking it."

Gold looked as if I'd just agreed to marry him or something. His eyes lit up as he burst into a grin, jumping forward to pin me in a tight hug. "Ha, I knew that would work!"

"Ugh, gross, get off." I grumbled, shoving him away with my hands. "I didn't say you could touch me."

He shrugged, still smiling to himself. "You also didn't say I couldn't."

"Whatever, smart ass." I huffed, shoving past him. I stepped back onto the path, walking briskly to try and get as far away from Gold as possible. I heard him trotting behind me to catch up, and soon he was walking right alongside me.

"So," He began casually, "your name's Silver?"

I stayed silent.

"I read that on the bottom of the note." He continued. "Silver, like your eyes, right? It fits you."

I couln't help but throw out a comment. "How the hell would you know?" He'd been around me for less time than I'd been walking, and already he was making assumptions.

"I just feel like I know you so well." He sighed dreamily. "Like I've know you forever."

"Yeah, and that feeling is why I'm out here. Don't remind me that it's still happening." I glanced ahead, praying silently that the town wasn't far away.

"Err, right." He said, looking a little confused. But he didn't press me further.

We walked on in silence for a little while. I tried my best to forget he was there, and he tried his best to make me remember without saying a word. Once or twice I caught him trying to snake his hand over to mine. "Don't even think about it," I'd snap. After about the third time, he'd stopped trying.

Finally, the town came into view. I let out an involuntary sigh of relief. I never thought I'd say it, but thank goodness for other people. I wasn't going to have to be alone with him anymore. "Look." I said, turning to Gold. He turned back towards me, pausing to listen. "Are you really going to keep following me like this? If you turn back now, you can make it home before it gets dark."

He shook his head. "We're already here. Besides, if I'm gonna get to know you better, I have to be _with_ you."

"Okay, let me rephrase that." I frowned, pinching my forehead lightly. "Give me the Pokegear, turn around, and go home."

"Naw, I think I'm good." He gave me a smug look and kept walking. "I have better things to do than sit at home anyways."

"What, like follow me around?"

"Especially follow you around."

I let out a grumble of disdain. Oh boy, this was going to be tough to put up with.

As we walked into town, Gold attempted to strike up a conversation again. " So this is Cherrygrove, right?"

"You should know." I shrugged. "It's right next to your town."

"Well, yeah. But do you know?"

"I do now."

He frowned. "Do you have a map? 'Cause I don't. We may need one of those if we're going all the way to Goldenrod."

I paused for a moment. Now that I thought about it, I realized that I didn't. I'd never even checked to see if the Pokegear had one. Gold must have noticed my hesitation, because he pointed towards the small shop that sat at the edge of town.

"We can get one there, if we need it. Come on." He said, grabbing my sleeve and pulling me along.

I yanked my arm away. "I can walk myself there, you know." Straightening out my sleeve, I followed after him. Getting a map wasn't a bad idea, I guess. Things would go a lot faster if I knew where I was going.

Gold seemed a little disappointed at having to let go of me. Not even me, just my sleeve. But the look on his face soon melted into pride as he pushed the door of the shop open. "Ah, see? Right there."

I followed his gaze to the other side of the room. There, under a large sign that said 'Maps,' was, well... Maps. More of them than any person would need in a lifetime. "Wow, that's... eerily convenient." I mumbled to myself. "Okay, fine. We'll get a map. But I'm not paying."

I glanced back at Gold. He was frozen in the doorway, staring at something that was obviously making him nervous. "What's your problem?" I asked him, my eyes flickering around the room to try and find what he was looking at. All I saw, though, was a normal looking man who was probably just shopping for dinner. When I turned back to Gold, I saw that he was sneaking down the closest aisle and slinking out of sight.

"Hey," I hissed sternly, following behind him. "What are you doing?"

He pointed in the direction of the man. "I'm hiding from that guy." Crouching down behind one of the shelves, he tried to make himself as unnoticeable as possible. "I know him. He's a friend of Elm's."

"You... know him?" I couldn't believe my luck. For once, something was actually going to go my way. If anyone, this guy could drag Gold back to his house. Without waiting for an answer, I turned and made a beeline for the man.

"No, Silver, stop!" I heard Gold hiss from behind me. "Do not tell him you know me! You'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

I chose to ignore him. Whatever I was going to regret, it was sure better than being stuck with an unwanted travelling companion.

"Silver, don't!" I heard him plead again. "You're gonna be stuck-"

And that's about all I heard. I walked up next to the man, grabbing his shopping basket to get his attention. "Excuse me, I need you to do me a favor."

The man turned and looked down at me with considering eyes. "Well," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "Aren't you just a ball of sunshine?"

* * *

**AN: Hey guys! So, there's the new update for you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. There's just something about Gold that makes him seem like such a stalker. Poor Silver's going to have to deal with that for a while. **

**There was a couple of things that I wanted to let you guys know. I'm probably going to be making some assumptions in the story as it goes on. For example, I'm definitely going to assume that all the towns and cities are way bigger than they're portrayed in the game. That seems like a given, considering they're seen like that in the show. Also, I figured that it doesn't really get too warm where they are since many of the main characters wear sleeves or jackets. I know I wouldn't be able to do that in eighty-degree weather. ^^' That could just be me, though. Anyways, if you see anything like those, it's probably me making assumptions again. **

**And one more thing! I'll be taking a trip down to Seattle for ten days in less than a week. I'm not sure how much free time I'll have when I'm there, so I'm going to try and get as much done with the next chapter as I can before then. Keep your fingers crossed I finish before I leave!**


	5. Infuriating Agreements

… _Sunshine?_

I couldn't believe he had called me that. This bastard didn't know who he was talking to. I gritted my teeth, feeling my hand clasp tighter around the handle of his shopping basket. "Listen, moron. You'd better watch your mouth."

The man arched a brow, an offended look trailing across his dark brown eyes. "Is that what you came over here to tell me? I've been bad mouthed before, but I'm not so sure I want to put up with it now. I'm here, shopping for my daily groceries, and a child I don't even know comes up to me and calls me a moron? I don't believe that what I said even warranted such a remark. I use a bit of sarcasm, and instantly you-"

I slapped my hand over his mouth. "Alright," I scowled, "I get it. Just shut up and listen."

He tugged my hand away from his face. "Well, fine. But I've already decided that I'm not fond of you. I'll have you know that. And being disliked is a terrible thing to be."

I bit my tongue before a long string of insults could escape from my mouth. Whatever. If this guy thought he could ruffle my feathers, I was going to prove him wrong. I pointed furiously towards where Gold was hiding, catching a brief glimpse of his panicked face just before he ducked back behind the shelves. "I need you to do me a favor. Gold is following me around, and-"

"Gold!" The man exclaimed loudly, raising his unadorned arm in excitement. "Well, I'll be damned! I haven't seen that boy in months! I wasn't aware that you two knew each other. I beg your pardon for my rudeness. I'm Mr. Pokemon." He held his hand out to me in greeting, which I ignored. He simply shrugged and let his hand fall to his side before continuing. "Wonderful to meet a friend of Elaine's son. You know, I met them on one of my visits to New Bark town. It's a fantastic story. Would you like to hear?"

"No." I scowled. "Look, can you just take Gold back home? He shouldn't be here."

"Nonsense!" He cut me off before I could explain further. "Gold has been down here before. Elaine has never minded. Are you sure you don't want to hear about how we met? It really is fantastic."

"_No_. I don't care. All I want is for you to take Gold home. Take him home now."

"Oh, you're being silly. The boy is plenty old enough to be out on his own. Now, I remember when he was just a young lad." A sentimental smile creased the man's face. "I met Gold on, oh, I believe it was my third visit to Elm's lab. I was helping him redecorate. No, _reorganize_. The man is a mess when it comes to filing his papers. Elaine was over helping as well. She brought Gold along with her. Such a sweet young man, helping us out like that. I imagine he had better things to do at his age…"

I scowled, my mouth agape in frustration. This man was more frustrating than Gold. I moved my mouth to speak, but he held up a hand to silence me.

"No, no!" He said, wagging his finger. "Hold all questions till the end of the story. We have all day. Anyways, I took quite a liking to the family. They were both quite the characters. Gold has always been a bit headstrong, but never in a bad way."

"Will you stop talking?" I growled through gritted teeth. "Gold is following me around, he _shouldn't _be, and I want him gone! He won't leave me alone, and _obviously_ you can fix all of this. So will you do me a damn favor and get rid of him?"

Mr. Pokemon (which I highly doubted was his real name) paused, a baffled look flashing across his face. "Well, you sure are a feisty one. No wonder Gold took a liking to you. He doesn't follow just anyone around."

I tugged at my hair, letting out a hiss of frustration. "Ugh! Fine! Never mind!" I turned to stomp out the front door, ignoring the blank look of disapproval from the woman at the register. I heard Mr. Pokemon trotting after me moments before a strong hand gripped my shoulder.

"Young man, wait a moment." He said, his tone slightly more stern that it had been earlier. "If you're going to leave, I'd like you to take this."

I turned around, shooting him a glare. "Take what?"

He held out his hand. On it rested a large, circular object. It gleamed a fiery red, the florescent lights from the store's ceiling making it shine. I scowled down at the unconventional gift. "What the hell is that?"

Mr. Pokemon drew his hand back. "If you don't want it, I'll keep it."

"I don't even know what it is." Folding my arms, I glanced back towards Gold's hiding place. I couldn't tell if he was still there. If he were trying to stay out of sight, he was doing a good job.

"This," Mr. Pokemon beamed, "is a red scale."

"Yeah." I kept glaring gloomily down the aisle. This man had been completely useless. I would have been better off taking Gold's advice and just avoiding the man, but of course I had to try. "I can see that."

"Just take it." The man grabbed my hand and shoved the red scale into my palm. "You may not be the nicest boy, but you're a friend of Gold's. I feel I should give you something. I'm not quite sure what this is, but I feel like it's special. Who knows? You might figure it out." He patted my shoulder. "You know, if you have time, you should join me at my house. I can tell you all about how I found that scale. A thrilling tale of adventure! I could even tell you now, if you like."

I stuffed the scale into my pocket. If he wanted me to have it, fine. I'd take it. "Thanks, but I think I'm good." I wasn't keen on more stories. Not from this man. As I turned to leave, he let out a sigh.

"Well, alright then. But if you change your mind, my house is just up the hill on Route 30. Don't be a stranger, my boy!" He gave me a wave and a grin. "Tell Gold to pay a visit as well. It's about time he stopped by."

I grunted in response. Well, that was a complete waste of time. I shoved my way out the door, leaving Mr. Pokemon inside to tell his stories to the cashier, which I'm sure he did readily. I leaned against the outside wall of the store and slumped down, resting my forehead in my hands. The last twenty-four hours had been nothing but headache after headache. I knew it wouldn't be too hard to ditch Gold eventually, but if I didn't do it soon, I'd go crazy. I mulled over my options. I could stay in Cherrygrove and wait for Elm to call the cops on me. The Pokegear wouldn't register enough movement to satisfy him, I was sure. Then they would come, and I could get them to take Gold off my hands. There was a problem, though. The police were finicky people. They probably wouldn't listen to me no matter what I told them. I'd be charged with kidnapping, theft of home-baked cookies or something else ridiculous like that.

So, no, I decided. I was better off just moving forward. Maybe Gold would take that damn Pokegear out of his pants and I could snatch it from him. Ditch him on the road at some point. Walking for miles with random shit in his pants was bound to get uncomfortable at some point. All I needed to do was muster up whatever patience I had and tough it out, which is much harder for me to do than it should be.

I heard the light whisk of the shop door opening beside me. Gold, looking skittish, twirled out and pressed himself against the wall next to me. "I can't believe it." He whispered, turning to stare at me with his eyes wide open. Whether his expression was shock or admiration was beyond me. "You weren't stuck in there for hours! I thought it would take at least two to get away."

I glared up at him. Maybe if I thought hard enough, he would disappear.

He ignored my spiteful gaze and went on rambling. "That man can talk forever, I swear. One time, he had me sit and listen to him talk for four hours straight. I didn't get a single word in that whole time."

"And that's why you made a big fuss? Because he talks?" I scowled.

"No, because he doesn't _stop_ talking." Gold let out a sigh and reached into the pocket of his sweater, pulling out a crumpled wad of paper. "I grabbed us a map, by the way. Here." He tossed the wad over to me, beaming proudly.

"I didn't see you buy this. I didn't even see you pick it up." I shook the papers out, flattening them as best as I could, mulling over the creased lines and landmark icons.

"I had my Aipom grab it for me." I glanced up and saw that he was twirling a pokeball on his fingertip. It wobbled after a moment, tipping into the palm of his hand, where he gripped it fondly. "I had him leave money, don't worry." He smirked at me. "I didn't steal it, like you would have. I just didn't want to get caught up in a conversation with Mr. P, so I took some liberties."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Whatever. Do what you want. Just leave me out of it." Glaring down at the map, I tried to figure out the fastest way to get to Goldenrod. The sooner this was over, the better. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gold shift.

"Maybe…" He said cautiously, glancing at the door, "We should get moving. I don't think I could tell Mr. Pokemon off like you did. If he saw me, I'd never get away."

"All the more reason to stay." I grumbled, only half to myself. Gold, for some reason, found that amusing.

"You saying you don't want me around?" He smirked, raising his eyebrow quizzically.

I stared up at him. Was he serious? I decided not to answer. Instead, I ignored him and stood, turning to walk towards the edge of town. _No reason to stay here_, I thought to myself. I still had plenty of time to make it to Violet city before nightfall as long as I hurried.

Gold trotted behind me. "Well, whether you want me here or not, I'm staying. You need me, you know." He shrugged, a ridiculous smile still glued across his face. There was a hint of smugness in his expression that made me uncomfortable.

I stopped walking abruptly and whirled around, facing him with a scowl. "I do not. I do _not_ need you here." I jabbed my finger into Gold's chest, pushing him back. "I can list more than enough reasons to get rid of you. The only reason you're still here is because that prick Mr. Pokemon wouldn't listen to a damn word I said. If he had, you'd be on your way home right now. Understand?"

He gazed at me with unreadable eyes. Finally that stupid smirk of his had faded. Gold stayed silent for just a moment, which I guess was better than I could have asked for. But the silence didn't last long. Eventually, he sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Look," He said, "I know what you're doing. That flute you're supposed to get. You don't expect to get it for free, do you?"

I clenched my jaw and drew back. I hadn't even thought about it. If I had to pay, I was screwed. I had no money. Nothing that I could use to pay for it. I hated to admit it, but he had a point.

"I've got money." He continued. "I could…" He paused, contemplating something in that thick head of his. "I could help you out. I could buy it for you. Then you don't have to worry about it."

I hated the idea of accepting his offer. I hated it with a passion. But I couldn't think of any other way. If it really did cost something, then I would have to work to pay it off. That was time that I couldn't afford to waste. "What do you get out of it?" I narrowed my eyes. "You actually want me to get this flute?"

Gold shook his head and glanced away sheepishly, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "No, but at least this way I can get to know you before you do. If I hadn't come, I'd never be able to do that. So I'm getting something out of this. Trust me."

I grumbled to myself. As bad as it was, taking Gold along with me was my best option. Great. I was about to knowingly accept the company of this creep for the sake of money. I never realized I could sink so low. "Okay." I forced the words out through clenched teeth. "You can follow me. _For now_. But I swear, if you try anything creepy, the deal's off."

Gold's eyes lit up as he beamed with excitement. "Really? You're serious?"

"Do I look like I joke around?"

"Not really. I guess I should give you this back, then." Without warning, he reached his hand down into his pants and yanked out the Pokegear. I backed away as he held the device out to me.

"Keep it." I frowned. The image of where that thing had been flashed in my mind, almost making me gag with disgust. I guess I have a strong stomach.

Gold grinned and shoved the Pokegear into his pants pocket. I supposed it was better than where it had been before. "Alright, if you insist. I'll try not to make too much trouble for you." And then he winked.

I shook my head. What the hell had I gotten myself into?

* * *

**AN: So, I finally returned. :3 I know it's been forever since I updated this! Like... Forever forever. I'd stopped working on this for some time, but even after so long I'm still getting people favoriting my story. ;-; So I decided to pick it up again. Turns out I'm still having fun doing it! **

**As for this new chapter, yes! The stranger was Mr. Pokemon! Chances are he'll be back again later, next time with a lot more to say. Silver didn't spend enough time with him to get a real idea of how frustrating a conversation with that man can be. Luckily for Silver, he's the type of guy who wouldn't feel bad about just getting up and walking away in the middle of one of Mr. Pokemon's speeches. Gold, on the other hand, can't really bring himself to do it, poor soul. I imagine he just spaces out for as long as he needs to. It's a good survival strategy. ;3 Until next time, friends!**


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